LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

11 



027 249 436 8 



r 




PREPARATORY EXERCISES 



FOR CORRECTING 



FALSE HABITS OF UTTERANCE, 



PRINCIPLES OF PRONUNCIATION", 



[INTRODUCTORY T<> 



ELEMENTS OF EXPRESSION. 



M. JOSEPHINE WARREN, 

T IE .A. C IHI IE JR, OIF ELOCUTION. 



PHILADELPHIA: 

A. Q. De ARMOND, PRINTER, 104 HUDSON STREET 

JANUARY, 1871. 



PREPARATORY EXERCISES 



FOR CORRECTING 



FALSE HABITS OF UTTERANCE, 



PRINCIPLES OF PRONUNCIATION, 

INTRODUCTORY To 

ELEMENTS OF EXPRESSION. 

BY 
M. JOSEPHINE "WARREN, 

T IE .A. C ZEE IE IL O ZE ELOCTJTIC1T. 



/ 

PHILADELPHIA: 

A. G. De ARMOND, PRINTER, 104 HUDSON STREET 

JANUARY. 1871. 



TIW* 



vM 



Entered accoidiiig to Act of Congress, in the year 1871, by 

M. JOSEPHINE WARREN, 
In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



PREFACE. 



The author has prepared this little manual with the hope 
that it may serve as" a guide in correcting false habits of 
utterance, and that students of elocution, may possess in a 
condensed form, appropriate selections in prose and poetry 
which illustrate the various elements of expression in speech. 
It is not designed as a teacher. It requires the voice of the 
living teacher to unfold the principles and exemplify the 
manifold powers and capabilities of the human voice. 

At a future time the author hopes to enlarge upon the 
topics to which, in this, she has merely alluded. 

M. J. W. 

Philadelphia, January 1, 1871. 



ELOCUTIONARY INTRODUCTION. 



ELOCUTION. 

Definition. — The art of speaking. It embraces vocal 
utterance, expression of countenance, and gesticulation. 

GOOD READING. 

Definition. — Appropriate intellectual and emotional utter- 
ance. 

Intellectual utterance addresses itself chiefly to the under- 
standing ; emotional utterance to the feelings. 

Correct habits in. sitting and standing are essential as 
preparatory steps in the training of the voice. 

The vigor and power of the voice depend to a great 
extent upon the vigor of the physical system, hence what- 
ever exercise tends to expand the chest and invigorate the 
body, tends to give strength and clearness of tone to the 
voice. 

Gymnastic Exercises , especially such as bring into action 
the muscles of the chest and waist, are excellent prepara- 
tives to attaining energy in vocal functions. 

Correct habits of breathing are of the utmost import- 
ance, as the lungs depend for their power, as a vocal 
organ, upon the quantity of breath which they are capable 
of receiving. 

DIRECTIONS FOR BREATHING. — Pure air is indispensable. 

Place yourself in a perfectly erect but easy position ; 
hands at the side ; heels together ; toes turned outward, 
forming an angle of about sixty degrees. 



I. Deep Breathing through nostrils. 

II. Inhale and exhale slowly through the mouth. 

III. Expulsive or Forcible Breathing. 

IY. Explosive or Abrupt Breathing. 

The habit of keeping the chest open and erect is indis- 
pensable to the production of a full, round tone of voice, and 
as a source of health, animation and activity, is of the 
highest importance. 

PRODUCTION OF TONE. 

The third step in vocal training is the right management 
of the breath in the production of tone. 

The quality of the tone may be nasal, gutteral, aspirated, 
weak, thin, harsh or reedy, each depending very much upon 
the use of the breath. 

The best tone, viz., a smooth, pure, clear tone, depends 
upon the direction of the vocal current ; upon the forma- 
tion and position of the sounding apparatus, the mouth ; 
also upon the free vibrations of the vocal chords. 

Pronounce in a clear ) smooth, gentle tone: 
Soo a a as in arm. 

a a " all. 

a a ask. 

a a hat. 

a a " fate. 

Soo 1 I as in pine. 

" 11 " pin. 

Soo e e as in her. 

e e " met. 

" e e " eve. 

Soo o 5 as in not. 

" uo " old. 

Sound is of two kinds, viz., tones and noises. The former 
are produced by regular vibrations in a sounding body, the 
latter by irregular vibrations. 

In speech the air rushes more directly out of the mouth 
than in singing, and with somewhat irregular vibrations. 



7 
Form of Vibrations in Speaking. 




REGISTERS OF THE VOICE. 

The speaking voice is confined to three registers, viz., 
first and second chest and falsetto. 

The female voice should command a compass of the entire 
second chest register, part of the first chest, and part of the 
first falsetto. 

The limits of these registers is determined by the position 
and action of the membranes, cartilages and muscles of 
the larynx ; and the changes in these movements are found 
to take place at fixed points in the musical scale, differing 
in the male and female voice, except at the transition from 
upper chest to falsetto, which is alike in both. 

A voice properly formed in the various registers will 
never become strained or weary from use. The bad results 
of an undue forcing of the registers, or a perverted action 
of the muscles of the throat, is exemplified in the voices of 
many professional men and public speakers, whose voices 
have become " worn out," as they say, and whose physical 
health is " broken down." 

A good voice is one in which the tone is pure, round, 
smooth and musical. 

A bad voice possesses the opposite qualities, viz., impurity, 
roughness, harshness, flatness, shrillness and nasality. 

Sing the following melody in the registers in which it is 
written, observing to bring the breath to the front of the 
mouth, that each tone may be clear, round and smooth. 
Use little breath. 



nn 

i 



TT 



2( 

o 

o 

a 



o 

lit 



S( 



B.f 



IT 



"6 I 



i 

'41 

CNI V 



TTTI> ir 

II ' 

"I* £ 

TTli -2 



TH 

2 



Jtll 



/ 



■J I 



o 

« 
o 

P<4 



i £ 



TT1 



"in ? 



rTT* 



>?■* 



ISA 



ITT% ' 

I I - 

I I ■ 

U 



II M 

/IIUJJ 



&!\ 



%1IJ 



1 



.! 



"12 






%iu Z 



%1\ 



I 



W^.s 



II 



I 

/ 



ILBL 



; 



*1U 



*1> 



£ V 



- mm 

LL*" 

1 



Q : 



rr CO 

fl UJ 

— CJ) 



ft 



1. Repeat the vowels in the following, with pure tone. 

2. Repeat the words successively, in pure tone. 

" The sea ! the sea ! the open sea ! 
The blue, the fresh, the ever free ! 
Without a mark, without a hound, 
It runneth the earth's wide regions round ; 
It plays with the clouds, it mocks the skies, 
Or like a cradled creature lies." 

ARTICULATION. 

u Articulation is the formation and jointing together into 
syllables, of the elementary sounds of speech." 

It is effected by the action of the lips, tongue, palate and 
jaws. 

The position and action of these organs should be care- 
fully noted in the production of each sound. A free and 
easy play of the muscles of the mouth is necessary to secure 
exactness and distinctness of utterance. 

The vocals consist of pure vocality or tone. 

Vocals. 

a as in arm. o as in nor. 

a " all. o " on. 

a ' k ask. o " old. 

a " hat. oo " ooze, 

a " care. u " but. 

a " fate. u " full. 

i " pine. u " use. 

i " pin. Diphthongs. 

e : ' met. i as in pine = ah — i. 

e " her. u " use = i — oo. 

e " eve. ou " out =ah — oo. 

oi " oil = o — i. 



10 



CONSONANTS. 

The sub-vocals consist of partial vocality. 
The aspirates are formed of whispered breath. 



Sub- Vocals. 


Aspii 


•ates. 


Y as in yet. 


H as in hay. 


W " way. 


Th " 


thin. 


E " roll, 


Sh " 


shun. 


L « lay. 


S " 


see. 




Wh" 


when. 


Z as in azure. 


K " 


kite. 


Z " zone. 


m u 


tent. 


Th " then. 


F " 


fife. 


J " joy- 


P " 


pipe. 


Y " vile. 


Ch " 


church 


Ng as in sing. 






Nk " ink. 






M " may. 






N " nay. 






G " gay. 






D " day. 






B " babe. 






COGNATE 


BOUNDS. 








If the position of the vocal organs be closely observed 
while sounding the element represented by " 5," it will be 
seen that a similar position of the lips, as well as a similar 
effort of the mouth, will also produce the sound represented 
by "_p," thus establishing a certain relationship between 
these sounds ; hence they are called Cognates. 

B. D. G. V. Z. Y. W. Th. Zh. Sub- Vocals. 

P. T. K. F. S. II. Wh.Th. Sh. Aspirates. 

J, Ng, L, M, 1ST, E, Ch, are exceptions. 

One sound is often incorrectly substituted for another as 
" b " for its cognate " j>," in such words as " Jupiter," " Bap- 



11 

tist," pronounced " Jubiter," c; Babtist." Sometimes u d" is 
incorrectly pronounced like its cognate " t" as in " dreadful," 
" dretful." 

The aspirate "t7i" for the sub-vocal "ih" as beneath, 
underneath, etc. 

Exercise on Consonants and Vowels Combined. 

" w " and " v " to exercise muscles of the lips. 
One sound is often confounded for the other. 



wa 


va 






WO 


VO 


va 


wa 






vo 


wo 


wa va 






wo 


vo 


va 


wfi 






vo 


wo 


- 1 - 


- 1 - 






_ 


_ 


- 1 - 


- 1 - 






_ 




wa 


va 






wo 


vo 


va 


wa 






vo 


wo 


w. 


_ 






A 


A 


V- 


s_. 






A 


A 


wa 


va 




woo 


voo 


va 


wa 




voo 


woo 










■^ 


^ 










w 


^ 


wa va 






we 


ve 


va 


wa 






ve 


we 


wa va 






we 


ve 


va 


wa 






ve 


we 


wi 


vi 






we ve 


wi 


vi 






ve 


we 


v_- 


w 






—. 


w 




w 






-^ 


— 


wi 


vi 


wu 


VU 


wu 


vu 


wi 


vi 


vu 


wu 


vu 


wu 






wu 


YL1 










vu wu 










woi voi 








voi woi 










wou vou 








vou 


wou 





" d" and "#," and "t" and "/c," to exercise tip and root 
of tongue and palate, and to contrast elements which are 
often confounded. 



da ga" 

da ga 

-J- 4. 

da ga 
da ga 
da ga 
da ga 



do go 
do go 
do go 

A A 

doo goo 
doi goi 
dou gou 



ta ka 
ta ka 
ta ka 
ta ka 
ta ka 
ta ka 



to ko 
to ko 
to ko 

A A 

too koo 
toi koi 
tou kou 



12 

Modified Sounds. 

" a ' ? in air, care, rare, etc., lies between a in ale and a in 
at. It seems to be the sonnd of a in at prolonged. " a " in 
ask is broad a in arm, shortened, "e" in such words as err, 
earth, mercy, and in all words preceding r, should be dis- 
tinguished from u as in burr, urn, etc. The sound of e, in 
such cases, begins with short e and terminates instantly in 
that of r. 

" o " in nor, usually followed by r, is not so broad as a in 
arm, nor so short, as o in not. u u 11 before r, as in rude, 

fruit, truth, takes a short sound of oo, as in ooze. 

Consonant Combinations. — Initial. 
Blow bl Trip tr 



dime cl 


spring spr 


/ame fl 


thrum thr 


glide gl 


strip str 


place pi 


shrill shr 


slide si 


scrip scr 


splice spl 


skill sk 


brim br 


smite sm 


creep cr 


snap sn 


drum dr 


squaw skw 


frame fr 


stop st 


grim gr 


swim sw 


prop pr 


twice tw 


Consonant Combinations. — Final. 


Eubs bs 


Bold Id 


bids ds 


elf If 


bags gs 


silk Ik 


aims ms 


elm 1m 


dens ns 


help Ip 


bars rs 


bells Is 


caves vs 


fault It 


reefs fs 


maim'd md 



13 



Looks ks 


Hand nd 


pulse Is 


bank nk 


lips ps 


dance nc 


horse rs 


want nt 


shouts ts 






Crisp sp 


Orb rb 


mist st 


lord rd 


left ft 


hark rk 


wept pt 


arm rm 


chasm sm 


learn rn 


op n pn 


bars rs 


reas'n sn 


mart rt 


heav'n vn 


corn rn 


sev'n vn 


Three Letters.— F 


'nal. 


Call'st 1st 


Health 1th 


arm'dst mdst 


tenth nth 


first rst 


north rth 


midst cist 


realms 1ms 


gifts fts 


chasms ms 


bolts Its 


lungs ngs 


posts sts 


fifths fths 


fields Ids 


silks Iks 


asks sks 


harps rps 


lisps sps 





; d" following an aspirate has the sound of " t" 

Capped pt Miffed ft 

kissed st 
puffed ft 



decked kt 
reefed ft 

Scalped Ipt 
gushed sht 
clasped spt 



Frisked skt 
pushed sht 
marched rcht 



14 
' I " with Consonants. 



Able bl 




Saddle dl 


kindle dl 




rifle fl 


dimple pi 




cattle tl 


sprinkle ki 




dazzle zl 


Ambled bid 




Saddled did 


dazzled zld 




bridled did 


trippled pld 




trifled fid 


Words ending in ure. 


Say fet-yur, 


not fea-chure. 


Nature 




Disfigure 


creature 




enrapture 


treasure 




composure 


,c a " short, obscure. Say a-live, not 


a-live, nor u-liv< 


Abide 


Balloon 


Critical 


adore 


capacious 


musical 


amaze 


botany 


tolerance 


11 e " in el is generally 


sounded: 




Cancel 


Chapel 


Eevel 


travel 


level 


camel 


rebel 


model 


squirrel 


" e " in m is generally 


silent. 




Seven 


Golden 


Eleven 


heaven 


molten 


even 


given 


garden 


quicken 



1 sion" in mansion, equals manshun, not mansh'n. 
Passion Station Ocean 

version nation notion 

mission fiction creation 



1 u " as in use, not " oo " as in ooze. 

Duty Tune Munificent 

institute nutritious beautiful 

constitution revolution tumult 



15 



DIFFICULT COMBINATIONS IN SENTENCES. 

1. She authoritatively led us, and disinterestedly labored 
for us, and we unhesitatingly admitted her reasonableness. 

2. A tell-tale, tattling, teazing termagant that troubled 
all the town. 

3. Peter Prickle Prandle picked three pecks of prickly 
pears from three prickly prangly pear trees. 

^4:. The clumsy clicking kitchen clock, clicked, clicks, is 
clicking. 

5. The rough and rugged rocks rear their hoary heads 
high in air. 
•/ 6. He fixed stakes strongly and the fixed stakes stood. 

7. AYe wandered where the whirlpool wends its winding 
way. 
vS. The swimming swan swiftly swept the swelling sweep. 
9. Sam Slick sawed six, sleek, slim saplings for sale. 

PRONUNCIATION. 

Pronunciation includes articulation, or the functions of 
the organs of speech, and accentuation, or laws determined 
by custom of the educated and refined. 

"a" as a word is pronounced a: as give me a book, not 
give me a book. 

In unaccented syllables " a " is also pronounced a, as 
abate, not abate. 

"o" in on, toss, God, loss, etc., requires the short "o," 
not awun, tawus, etc. 

"My," when emphatic, takes the long sound of y or I ; in 

all other cases, short y or i, as my. 

In such phrases as "not yet," "don't you go," etc., great 
care should be taken not to blend the sounds t and y, equi- 
valent to "don choo go," " no-chet," etc. 

" The" is pronounced thi before a vowel, and thu before a 
consonant, as " Thi earth is round ;" " Thu bird has flown." 

A 

The sound of " o " (oo), in to, noon, moon, etc., is fre- 
quently incorrectly given tu, nun, mun. 



The phrase " of the," as " The hour of the clay," some- 
times incorrectly given "The hour o' the clay." 

"And," in such phrases as "exercise and temperance, " 
often incorrectly rendered " exercise an temperance," or 
"exercise 'ncl temperance." 

Exercise the organs of speech energetically in whisper- 
ing the following : 

"All silent they went, for the time was approaching, 
The moon the blue zenith already was touching ; 
No foot was abroad on the forest or hill, 
No sound but the lullaby sung by the rill ' ' 

PHONETIC ANALYSIS. 

Begin at the end of a sentence so as to prevent the possi- 
bility of reading negligently : 

1st. Articulate every vocal in each word. 

2d. " sub-vocal in each word. 

3d " " aspirate " " " 

4th. Enunciate every syllable. 

5th. Pronounce every word clearly and correctly. 

6th. Bead, the sentence with strict attention to the manner 
of 'pronouncing every word. 

7th. Eead the sentence with reference to the pauses. 

8th. Eead the sentence with attention to inflection and 
emphasis. 

Lastly, combine all these points, and read with an easy, 
fluent enunciation, in order to express the meaning correctly 
and intelligibly. 

Read as directed. 
" Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to 
you, trippingly on the tongue : but if you mouth it, as many 
of our players do, I had as lief the town-crier spake my 
lines. Nor, do not saw the air too much with your hand, 
thus; but use all gently: for in the very torrent, tempest, 
and (as I may say) whirlwind of your passion, you. must 
acquire and beget a temperance, that may give it smooth- 
ness. O, it offends me to the soul, to hear a robustious, 



17 

periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, 
to split the ears of the groundlings; who, for the most part, 
are capable of nothing bat inexplicable dumb show and 
noise; I would have such a fellow whipped for o'er-doing 
Termagant ; it out-herods Herod ; pray you avoid it." 

EXAMPLES ILLUSTRATING THE APPLICATION OF THE 
YAEIOUS REGISTERS OF THE VOICE. 

The higher tones of the second chest and the falsetto voice are 
used in expressing pity, tenderness, tranquillity, cheerful- 
ness, animation, humor, calling ; and in unimpassioned nar- 
ration, description, and didactic forms of composition. 

FALSETTO AND UPPER CHEST. 

Subdued Force. 
" 1 wandered on, scarce knowing where I went, 
Till I was seated on an infant's grave. 
Alas ! I knew the little tenant well ; 
She was one of a lovely family, 
That oft had clung around me like a wreath 
Of flowers, the fairest of the maiden spring. 
It was a new-made grave, and the green sod 
Lay loosely on it ; yet affection there 
Had reared the stone, her monument of fame. 
I read the name I loved to hear her lisp : — 
"Twas not alone ; but every name was there 
That lately echoed through that happy dome." 

Moderate Force. 

JOAN OF ARC. 

" What is to be thought of her? What is to be thought 
of the poor shepherd girl from the hills and forests of Lor- 
raine, who rose suddenly out of the quiet, out of the safety, 
out of the religious inspiration of deep pastoral solitudes, 
to a station in the van of armies, and to the more perilous 
station at the right hand of kings." 

Gay or Brisk Style. 

•■ Last came Joy's ecstatic trial, 
He with viny crown advancing, 
First to the lively pipe his hand addressed ; 
But soon he saw the brisk, awaking viol, 
Whose sweet, entrancing voice he loved the best." 



Humorous or Playful Style. 

ARTIFICIAL EDUCATION. 

" Thus education (so called in our schools), 
With costly materials and capital tools, 
Sits down to her work, if you duly reward her, 
And sends it home finished, according to order." 

Sustained Force or Calling. 

FROM A BALLAD. 

" captain of the Moorish hold, 
Unbar thy 'gates to me ! 
And I will give thee gems and gold, 
To set Fernando free." 

Second Chest Register, used in expressions of repose, solemn- 
ity and pathos, united with grandeur or sublimity, joy, 
adoration, reverence, courage, command, majest}^, power, 
etc., etc. 

SECOND CHEST. 
EFFUSIVE UTTERANCE. 

Pathos and Sublimity. 
1 ' Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean, roll, 
Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain ; 
Man marks the earth with ruin ; his control 
Stops with the shore ! Upon the watery plain 
The wrecks are all thy deed ; nor doth remain 
A shadow of man's ravage, save his own. 
When, for a moment, like a drop of rain, 
He sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan, 
Without a grave, unknelled, uncoffmed and unknown." 

EXPULSIVE. 
Declamatory Style. 
" The war is actually begun ! The next gale that sweeps 
from the North will bring to our ears the clash of resound- 
ing arms! Our brethren are already in the field. Why 
stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? 
What would they have ? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, 
as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery ? 
Forbid it Heaven ! I know not what course others may 
take, but as for me, give me liberty , or give me death!" 



19 

Shouting. 

" Ye guards of liberty, 
I'm with you once again ! I call to you 
With all my voice ; I hold my hands to you, 
To show they still are free ! I rush to you 
As though I could embrace you ! ' ' 

EXPLOSIVE. 
Terror. 
' ' Ah ! what is that flame which now bursts on his eye ? 
Ah ! what is that sound which now larums his ear 1 
'Tis the lightning's red glare, painting wrath on the sky ; 
'Tis the crash of the thunder, the groan of the sphere !" 

Courage and Command. 
11 Strike ! till the last armed foe expires : 
Strike ! for your altars and your fires : 
Strike ! for the green graves of your sires — 
God and your native land ! ' ' 

The First Chest Register is used in expressions of awe, deep 
solemnity, horror, melancholy and gloom. 

FIRST CHEST. 
EFFUSIVE UTTERANCE. 

Awe, extending to fear. 
lt It thunders ! Sons of dust, in reverence bow ! 
Ancient of days ! thou speak est from above ; 
Thy right hand wields the bolt of terror now : 

That hand which scatters peace and joy and love. 
Almighty ! trembling like a timid child, 

I hear thy awful voice, — alarmed, afraid, 
I see the flashes of thy lightning wild, — 

And in the very grave would hide my head ! ' ' 

INFLECTIONS AND PITCH. 

Fitch is used to designate, as in music, the particular note 
of the scale, as high or low, on which the tone is given. 

There are two forms of varying the pitch of sounds. 
The first is by ships or discrete variations from one tone to 
another. The second is by slides or concrete variations 



20 

from one tone to another. The latter are denominated 
inflections. 

The sentiment must determine the changes of pitch and 
inflection. 

INFLECTIONS OK SLIDES. 

The two principles on which inflections are based are 
incompleteness and completeness of thought. 

The former requires the rising or suspensive slide ( /), the 
latter the falling slide (\ ). 

In unimpassioned utterance the inflections are slight. In 
strong emotion the voice slides up or down through various 
intervals, depending entirely upon the intensity of the 
emotion. 

In expressing emotions of grandeur, vastness or power, 
or when the speaker is supposed to be incapable of human 
passion, as a spiritual being or ghost, the monotone prevails. 

Subdued emotions of grief, sorrow, pity, etc., require the 
semitone. 

In expressions of irony, sarcasm, raillery or mirth, the 
voice has a double movement, called the circumflex, as, 

A A 

" Oh ! but he paused upon the brink." 

UPWARD SLIDES. 
1st. Direct inquiry. 
"Are you sick, Hubert ?" 
2d. Incompleteness of thought. 
That the stars appear like so many diminutive and scarce 

distinguishable points, is owing to their immense and incon- 
ceivable distance. 

3d. Condition or supposition. 

" If it is precious to know existence, even in our instincts, 
how excellent to know it in our most godlike capacities I" 
4th. In the negative or less forcible part of an antithesis, 

"The pleasures of the imagination are not so gross 
as those of sense, nor so refined as those of the under- 
standing." 



21 

DOWNWARD SLIDES. 
1st. Indirect question. 
" When do you go to town ?" 

COMPLETENESS OF THOUGHT. 

" ISTothing in man's wonderful nature can be more won- 
derful or mysterious than his gift of memory;' 
Denunciation. 
"Woe! woe! to the riders that trample them down." 

Command. 
"Arm ! arm ! it is, it is the cannon's opening roar !" 

Calling. 
"Up drawbridge, groom! What, warder, ho! 
Let the portcullis fall !" 

Repetition of Emphatic Clauses. 

"Yes, Athenians, I repeat it, you yourselves are the con- 
trivers of your own ruin." 

Contrasted words take opposite slides, as 
"A friend cannot be known in prosperity, and an enemy 
cannot be hidden in adversity." 

MONOTONE. 

Awe and Reverence. 
"Bless the Lord, my soul; and all that is within me 
bless his holy name." 

SEMITONE — UPWARD SLIDES. 
Weakness and Pathos. 
"Give me three grains of corn, mother, 
Only three grains of corn, 
It will keep the little life I have, 
Till the coming of the morn. ' ' 



22 

SEMITONE — DOWNWARD SLIDES. 

Pity and Grief. 

" 0, I hare suffered 
With those that I saw suffer ! a brave- vessel, 
Who had, no doubt, some noble creatures in her, 

Dash'd all to pieces. 0, the cry did knock 

Against my very heart ! Poor souls ! they perish'd. 
Had I been any god of power, I would 

Have sunk the sea within the earth, or e'er 
It should the good ship so have swallowed, and 
The freighting souls within her." 

UPWARD CIRCUMFLEX. 

Scorn. 
" To ask him for a favor ! I scorn it." 

DOWNWARD CIRCUMFLEX. 
Reproach. 
" Hamlet , you have your father much offended*" 
" Mother, you have my father much offended." 

ILLUSTRATIONS OF INFLECTIONS. 

1. " To arms! they come; the Greek, the Greek!" 

2. " We must fight, — I repeat it, sir, we must fight." 

3. "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God 
Almighty !" 

4. "A countenance more in sorrow than in anger." 

5. " Who's here so base that he would be a bondsman ? " 

6. " How accomplish it ? Certainly not by never attempt- 
ing it !" 

7. " Lily Bells ! Lily bells ! swinging and ringing: 

Sweet golden bells on the still summer air, 
Are ye calling the birds to their matins of singing, 
Summoning Nature to worship and prayer ?" 

8. " Mankind are besieged by war, famine^ pestilence, 
volcano, storm and fire." 



23 

9. "Eloquence is action, noble, sublime, Godlike action." 

10. " Milton is the most sublime, and Homer the most 
picturesque." 

11. "Valor, humanity, courtesy, justice and honor, were 
the characteristics of chivalry." 

12. "0 my son Absalom! my son, my son, Absalom." 

13. " Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to them that 
know the law), how that the law hath dominion over a man 
as long as he liveth ?" 

14. " And Elijah mocked the priests of Baal, and said : 
Cry aloud, for he is a God ; either he is talking, or he is 
pursuing, or he is on ajourney, or, peradventure, he sleepeth, 
and must be awaked." 

15. " Do not forget : this visitation 

Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose. 
But look ! amazement on thy mother sits : 
step between her and her fighting soul ; 
Conceit in weakest bodies strongest works : 
Speak to her, Hamlet." 

16. "You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless 
things." 

17. " And were I an American, as I am an Englishman, 
while a single foreign troop was landed in my country, I 
never ivould lay down my arms: never, NEVER, NEVER." 

PITCH. 

The middle pitch of the voice is that of our habitual 
speech, and is the natural note of unimpassioned utterance. 

All degrees below the medium note are associated with 
feelings of a grave or solemn character. All degrees above 
the medium note are characteristic of gay, joyous, animated 
feelings. 

MIDDLE PITCH. 

Descriptive. 
" In the midst of wild mountain scenerjr, picturesque but 
not magnificent, when compared with the White Mountains 
of New Hampshire, the Adirondack and Catskill range in 



24 

New York, or the Alleghenies in Western Pennsylvania 
and Virginia, is a bold promontorj^, called West Point, 
rising more than one hundred and fifty feet above the waters 
of the Hudson : its top a perfectly level and fertile plateau, 
and every rood hallowed by associations of the deepest 
interest." 

LOW PITCH. 

EXTRACT FROM " MILTON, ON HIS BLINDNESS " 

" On bended knee, 

I recognise Thy purpose clearly shown ; 
My vision Thou hast dimm'd, that I may see 
Thyself, Thyself alone." 

VERY LOW PITCH. 
Solemnity and Awe. 

" Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all genera- 
tions. 

" Before the mountains were brought forth, or even thou 
hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlast- 
ing to everlasting, thou art, God." 

HIGH PITCH. 

Cheerfulness. 

" Haste thee, nymph, and bring with thee 
Jest and youthful jollity, 
Quips and cranks, and wanton wiles, 
Nods, and becks, and wreathed smiles, 
Such as hang on Hebe's cheek, 
And love to live in dimple sleek : 
Sport that wrinkled Care derides, 
And Laughter, holding both his sides." 

VERY HIGH PITCH. 

Ecstatic Joy. 

" Ring, joyous chords ! ring out again ! 
A swifter still and a wilder strain ; 
And bring fresh wreaths : we will banish all 
Save the free in heart from our festive hall. ' ' 



25 



TRANSITIONS IN PITCH. 



The following exercise in transition of pitch is designed 
to illustrate the great compass of voice required in reading a 
single stanza, from the lowest note of the speaking voice to 
the extreme highest, or through nearly an octave and a- 
half. 



Middle Pitch. 1 High. 
11 Did ye not | hear it 


High. 

? 1 No: 


Middle. 1 
1 'twas but the j 


High 
wind. 


Middle. J 
Or the 1 


High, 
car 


1 rattling o 


Middle Note, 
'er the stony street ; 




Very High. 
On with the dance ; 


1 Very High. 

1 let joy 


1 High. 

| "be unconfined ; 




Whisper. 
Bnt hark ! 


Very Low. 
that heavy sound 


Low. 
1 breaks in once more, 


Middle. I High, 
iis if the 1 cloud: 


■ 1 


High. 1 
its echo 


Middle. 

would repeat ; 




High. 
And nearer, 


1 Ve 


ry High. 1 

Learer, { de 


Very Low. 

adlier than before ! 




Very High. 

Arm ! arm ! | 


it is - 


High. 

-it is— the cannon's opening roar? 





FOECE AND STRESS. 

Force, as a property of voice, constitutes an element of 
expression which may exist in consecutive or single sounds. 
It implies strength or loudness of voice in different degrees, 
from the gentlest whisper to the boldest and most vehement 
forms of utterance. 

The standard degree of force is that which we employ in 
ordinary conversation and in unimpassioned utterance. 
Any departure from this, as softer or louder, must be 
governed by the sentiment or emotion. 

Gentle, calm emotions, as grief, sorrow, love, tenderness, 
tranquillity, etc., require subdued tones. 

Strong feelings, as anger, revenge, scorn, alarm, joy, etc., 
call for loud force, varying in degree according to the 
intensity of the emotion. 

Extreme emotion sometimes paralyzes the voice, and 
renders it choked and muffled, in the form of aspirated or 
whispered utterance. 



26 

MODERATE FORCE. 

LIFE. 

"Life is a great fact. We live. Here is a momentous 
verity. Most mysterious, and yet most real, is this solemn 
now. Out of the dread, dark, speechless abyss of possibili- 
ties, we have come to be among things which are to move, 
to breathe. Before us lies the immense unknown, and deep 
silence is its covering." 

SOFT FORCE. 

DEATH OF THE OLD TEAK. 

" How hard lie breathes ! over the snow 

I heard just now the crowing cock. 
The shadows flicker to and fro ; 

The cricket chirps ; the light burns low ; 
'Tis nearly twelve o'clock. 

Shake hands before you die ! 
Old Year, we'll dearly rue for you ; 
What is it we can do for you ? 

Speak out, before you die" 

VERY SOFT FORCE. 
Awe and Tenderness. — Mrs. Hermans. 
1 ' Hush ! 'tis a holy hour ; — the quiet room 

Seems like a temple, while yon soft lamps sheds 
A faint and starry radiance through the gloom, 

And the sweet stillness down on young, bright heads, 
With all their clustering locks, untouched by care, 

And bowed, as flowers are bowed with night, in prayer." 

LOUD. 
Animation. 

" Oh, young Lochinvar is come out of the west, — 
Through all the wide border his steed was the best ; 
And save his good broadsword he weapon had none, — 
He rode all unarmed, and he rode all alone. 
So faithful in love, and so dauntless in war, 
There never was knight like the young Lochinvar." 



Alarm. 

1 He woke to hear his sentry shriek ! 
4 To arms ! they come ! the Greek ! the Greek ! ' 



27 

VERY LOUD. 

Anger. 

' ( Whence and what art thou ? Execrable shape ! 
That dar'st, though grim and terrible, advance 
Thy miscreated front athwart my way 
To yonder gates ? Through them I mean to pass, 
That be assured, — without leave asked of thee." 

INTENSE, SUSTAINED FOECE. 

Shouting and Calling. 

macduff's outcry ox the murder of duncan. — Shahspeare. 

"Awake ! awake ! 

Ring the alarm bell : — Murder ! and treason ! 

Banquo, and Donalbain ! Malcolm! awake!"' 

STRESS. 

In the application of stress, the force of the voice falls on 
some portion of the vowel sound in the accented syllable of 
emphatic words. 

The radical stress implies force on the beginning or open- 
ing of the sound, and belongs to the expression of abrupt 
and startling emotions; also, in its gentler form, to unim- 
passioned language, to impart clearness and life to the 
utterance. 

GENTLE RADICAL STRESS. 
Gay, Brisk Style. 

" Here it comes sparkling, 
And there it lies darkling, 
Now smoking and frothing, 
Its tumult and wrath in, 
Till in this rapid race 
On which it is bent, 
It reaches the place 
Of its deep descent." 

STRONG RADICAL STRESS. 
Command. 
" Up, comrades, up ! 
In Rokeby's halls, ne'er be it said our courage falls." 



28 

The vanishing stress falls on the close or vanish of the 
sound, and expresses impatience, vexation, determination, 
contempt, etc. 

VANISHING STRESS. 
Defiance. 

' ' And first, I tell thee, haughty peer, 
He who does England's message here, 
Although the meanest in her state, 
May well, proud Angus, he thy mate ; 
And, Douglas, more, I tell thee, here, 

Even in thy pitch of pride, 
Here in thy hold, thy vassals near, 
(Nay, never look upon your lord, 
And lay your hand upon your sword,) 
I tell thee, thou'rt defied !" 

The median stress is force applied to the middle of a 
sound, and belongs to slow movement, to expressions of 
pathos, solemnity, grandeur, exultation, admiration, reve- 
ence, awe, etc. 

MEDIAN STRESS. 

Solemnity and Gloom. 

" sailor-hoy ! sailor-hoy ! never again 

Shall love, home, or kindred thy wishes repay ; 
Unblessed and unhonored, down deep in the main, 
Full many a score fathom thy frame shall decay.'' 

The compound stress is force upon the opening and close 
of a sound. It expresses surprise, mockery and raillery. 



COMPOUND STRESS. 

Surprise and Astonishment. 

" What ! to attribute the sacred sanctions of God and 
nature to the massacres of the Indian scalping knife !" 

Thorough stress implies equal force on all parts of the 
sound, and is heard in language of bold command, courage, 
joy, rapture. 



29 

THOROUGH STRESS. 
Distraction and Haste. 
" Cannon to right of them, 

Cannon to left of theni, 

Cannon in front of them, 

Volleyed and thundered ! 
Stormed at with shot and shell, 
Boldly they rode and well ; 
Into the jaws of death, — 
Into the mouth of hell 
Rode the six hundred." 

The tremulous stress is used in excessive grief, fatigue, 
mirtb, joy, etc. 

TREMULOUS STRESS. 

Grief. 

u Oh ! I have lost } r ou all : parents and home and friends." 

Mirth. 

FROM ROMEO AND JULIET. 

" Oh ! then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you. 
She comes 
In shape no bigger than an agate-stone 
On the forefinger of an alderman, 
Drawn by a team of little atomies 
Athwart men's noses as they lie asleep." ; 

RATE AND PAUSE. 

Hate or movement relates to the utterance, as fast or slow, 
and is regulated by the time in uttering the vowel sounds, 
and by pauses. 

Every emotion and sentiment has its appropriate rate. 

Moderate rate is characteristic of unimpassioned language, 
of narrative and descriptive styles. 

MODERATE RATE. 

11 The latest gospel in this world is, know thy work and 
do it. ' Know thyself;' long enough has that poor ' self of 
thine tormented thee; thou wilt never get to 'know' it, I 
believe! Think it not thy business, this of knowing thy 



30 

self, thou art an unknowable individual : know what thou 
can'st work at, and work at it like a Hercules ! That will 
be thy better plan." 

Slow movement is required in expressing sublime, pathe- 
tic and tranquil emotions. 

SLOW MOVEMENT. 

Solemnity and Pathos. 
" A traveler, by the faithful hound, 
Half buried in the snow was found, — 
Still grasping in his hand of ice 
That banner with the strange device, 
'Excelsior !' 

' ' There, in the twilight cold and gray, 
Lifeless, but beautiful he lay ; 
And from the sky, serene and far, 
A voice fell, like a falling star, 
' Excelsior !' " 

Very slow movement is exemplified in the expression of 
the deepest emotions, as awe, gloom, horror and melancholy. 

VERY SLOW MOVEMENT. 
Melancholy. 
' ' To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, 
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, 
To the last syllable of recorded time ; 
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools 
The way to dusty death." 

Uapid rate is heard in the utterance of animation and 
cheerfulness, all excited, impassioned feelings and senti- 
ments, as haste, fear, alarm, anger, revenge, etc. 

RAPID RATE. 
" The cataract strong, 
Then plunges along) 
Striking and raging 
As if a war waging, 
Its caverns and rocks among 
Here it comes sparkling, 
And there it lies darkling ; 



31 

Now smoking and frothing 
Its tumult and -wrath in, 
Till in this rapid race 
On which it is bent, 
It reaches the place 
Of its steep descent. " 

VERY RAPID RATE. 

Distraction and Terror. 

' ; He springs from his hammock, he flies to the deck, 
Amazement confronts him with images dire ; 
Wild winds and mad waves drive the vessel a-wreck : 
The masts fly in splinters, the shrouds are on fire !" 

thought ANALYSIS, in unimpassioned forms of language. 

Study a lesson for the exact meaning of every sentence ; 
note the special incidents in narration, objects in description, 
or subjects in the didactic or argumentative style ; give the 
etymology and derivation of words ; observe the emphasis, 
inflections, and pauses required, that shall express the idea 
in each sentence. 

Pronounce the difficult words, and those frequently mis- 
pronounced, till fluency and correctness are acquired. 

Let the following example be analyzed as directed: 

THE RHINE. 

" My second day upon the Ehine was more interesting 
than my first. The scenery was wilder ; the castles were 
gloomier. The rush of water was more rapid, and in a 
narrower bed, through narrower denies. 

"An excellent road runs all along the banks of the river, 
at the foot of the mountains. The Englishman's coach was 
often seen upon it. The bugle of the Prussian postilion 
would sound now and then, and echo from hill to hill. 
Here and there was a cross, with some woman kneeling at 
its foot. The church-bell would strike at times ; the drum 
of the soldier was often rolled. Here, a chateau ; there, 
the thickly clustering vineyards. Here, peeping over the 
cliffs on the plains above, the rich golden harvests waving 



32 

in the breeze ; and there, the hills feathered with little trees. 
Now the Ehine would branch off into the broad lake in 
quiet beauty, and, pent up among the mountains, hiding its 
ingress and egress too, quite deceive you ; and anon it would 
foam, and fret, and chafe, in anger, as it were, that it was 
passing in such a wild defile. 

" Glorious river ! glorious in fact, and in fancy, too. Of 
all the things around, thou art alone unchanged. Castles 
have fallen; nations have thrown their flags upon thy cliffs j 
w T ar has often vexed thy bosom ; but thou art the same as 
ever, in perpetual youth and beauty; and one does not 
marvel why feudal lord and fiery chief should seek thy 
sweet repose. 

" The ancient fort of Eheinfeltz is now in view. The 
best comment I can make upon it, is — none at all : for 
silence often speaks what words cannot. Wilder and wilder 
the country is. An enormous rock, called Lurleyberg, is 
on our left. A curious echo is here. Some workmen on 
the road blew a blast on the bugle, to astonish us. Our 
captain .fired off* a small piece of cannon ; the boatmen of 
the Ehine were crying, ' Lore-lei, Lore-lei !' invoking the 
water spirit that has domain here : and ' Lore-lei ' responds 
from her rocky mouths. 

" The Ehine seems to have been formed for the purpose 
of charming the eye, in exhibiting delightful contrasts. As 
you begin your voyage towards its source, all is dull ; and 
your expectations are badly damped. All at once comes 
the Drachenfelz, and ruin and ragged cliff. Then the wild 
passes, of which I have written, with, their whirlpools and 
wilderness of rocks ; and then, as you have had enough of 
this, the Ehinegau opens with the panorama of everything 
you have seen before, specimens of each, all grouped for 
one glance of the eye. Wealth, taste, power, rank, in all 
times, have sought a home within the Ehinegau, or near 
about it." 



33 

QUESTIONS. 

What is the character of the above extract? Is it narrative 
or descriptive? Is it lively or grave? Is it beautiful or 
sublime? 

What tone would be required in reading it? What move- 
ment, what force? What 'pitch? 

Locate and describe the Rhine. What is a castle? Define 
the bed of a river; a defile. Who is a postilion? What 
religion would you infer prevailed in France, from the 
expression " here and there was a cross" etc.? 

Describe a chateau; meaning of the phrase "thickly cluster- 
ing vineyards ;" of " ingress and egress ;" of " anon." 

What sentiments characterize the third paragraph? Why 
" glorious in fact?''' 1 

In fourth paragraph give some account of the Lore-lei. 

Give meaning of feudal. What inflections on wealthy taste, 
power , rank ? 

EMOTIONAL ANALYSIS. 

In order to read correctly and impressively, it is necessary 
that the student should have a clear conception of the various 
emotions which characterize the language, and for this pur- 
pose each lesson should be carefully analyzed, and the 
appropriate Tone, including all that relates to Pitch, Force, 
Stress and Rate, applied to the utterance. 

EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE. 
" And thou Last walked about (Low strange a story) 
In Thebes' streets, tliree thousand years ago, 
When the Memnoniuni was in all its gloiy, 

And time had not begun to overthrow 
Those temples, palaces, and piles stupendous, 
Of which the very ruins are tremendous." 

" Speak ! for thou long enough hast acted dummy ; 

Thou hast a tongue. Come, let us hear its tune ; 
Thourt standing on thy legs, above ground, mummy, 

Revisiting the glimpses of the moon ; 
Not like thin ghosts or disembodied creatures, 
But with thy bones and flesh, and limbs and features.'' 



34 

" We bid you welcome to the healthful skies and the 
verdant fields of New England. "We greet your accession 
to the great inheritance which we have enjoyed. We wel- 
come you to the blessings of good government and religious 
liberty. We welcome you to the treasures of science and 
the delights of learning. We welcome you to the trans- 
cendent sweets of domestic life, to the happiness of kindred 
and parents and children. We welcome you to the immeas- 
urable blessings of rational existence, the immortal hope of 
Christianity, and the light of everlasting truth." 

'' It is strange ! it is dreadful ! Shout, Tyranny ! shout 
Through your dungeons and palaces, 
'Freedom is o'er !' 
If there lingers one spark of her fires, tread it out, 
And return to your empire of darkness once more." 

Sir Peter. — Very well, ma'am, very well ; so a husband 
is to have no influence, no authority ? 

Lady Teazle. — Authority ! No, to be sure ; if you wanted 
authority over me, you should have adopted me, and not 
married me ; I am sure you were old enough. 

Sir P. — Old enough ! ajr, there it is. Well, well, Lady 
Teazle, though my life may be made unhappy by your 
temper, I'll not be ruined by your extravagance. 

Lady T. — My extravagance ! Sir Peter, am I to blame 
because flowers are dear in cold weather ? You should 
find fault with the climate and not with me. For my part, 
I'm sure, I wish it was spring all the year round, and that 
roses grew under our feet. 

Sir P. — Zounds ! madam, if you had been born to this, 
I shouldn't wonder at your talking thus ; but you forget 
what your situation was when I married you. 

Lady T. — No, no, I don't ; 'twas a very disagreeable one, 
or I should never have married you, Sir Peter ! would you 
have me be out of the fashion ? 

Sir P. — The fashion, indeed! What had you to do with 
the fashion before you married me? 



35 

Lady T. — For my part, I should think you would like to 
have your wife thought a woman of taste. 

Sir P. — Ay, there again, taste. Zounds ! madam, you 
had no taste when you married me. 

Lady T. — That's very true, indeed, Sir Peter ; and after 
having married you I should never pretend to taste again, 
I allow; but now, Sir Peter, since we have finished our daily 
jangle, I presume I may go to my engagement at Lady 
Sneerwell's. 

Sir P. — Ay, there V another precious circumstance, a 
charming set of acquaintances you have made there. 



" Butf gentler now the small waves glide, 
Like playful lambs o'er a mountain side ; 
So stately her hearing, so proud her array, 
The main she will traverse forever and aye. 
Many ports will exult at the gleam of her mast ; 
Hush ! hush ! thou vain dreamer, this hour is her last. 
Five hundred souls, in one instant of dread, 
Are hurried o'er the deck ; 
And fast the miserable ship 
Becomes a hopeless wreck. 
Her keel hath struck on' a hidden rock, 
Her planks are torn asunder, 
And down come her masts with a reeling shock, 
And a hideous crash like thunder." 



" Hurrah, hurrah, how gayly we ride ! How the ship 
careers ! How she leaps ! How gracefully she bends ! How 
fair her white wings ! How trim her hull ! How slim her 
tall, taper masts! What a beautiful dancing fairy! Up 
from my narrow shelf in the close cabin have I crept for the 
first time since we loosed cable and swung out upon the tide, 
and every drop of blood in my veins jostles its neighbor 
drop exultingly, for here is sublimity unrivalled. 

"The wild, shifting, restless sea, with its playful waves 
chasing one another laughingly, ever aud anon leaping up, 
shivering themselves by the force of their own mad impulse, 
aud descending again in a shower of pearls." 



36 

'When, hark ! Oh, horror ! What a crash is there ; 
What shriek is that which fills the midnight air ? 
'Tis fire ! 'tis fire ! She wakes to dream no more ; 
The hot blast rushes through the blazing door ! 
The dun smoke eddies round ; and, hark ! that cry ! 
' Help ! help ! Will no one aid ? I die — I die ! ' 
She seeks the casement ; shuddering at the sight, 
She turns again ; the fierce flames mock her flight ; 
Along the crackling stairs they fiercely play, 
And roar, exulting, as they seize their prey. 
' Help ! help ! Will no one come V She can no more ; 
But, pale and breathless, sinks upon the floor." 



" thou eternal One ! whose presence bright 
All space doth occupy, all motion guide : 

Unchanged through time's all-devastating flight ; 
Thou only God ! There is no God beside ! 

Being above all beings ! Mighty One ! 

Whom none can comprehend, and none explore ; 

W^ho fill'st existence with thyself alone : 
Embracing all — supporting — ruling o'er — 
Being whom we call God — and know no more " 



Macduff, on hearing of the slaughter of his wife and children. 

Macd. — My children, too ? 

Rosse. — Wife, children, servants, all that could be found. 

Macd. — And I must be from thence! My wife kill'd, 

too. 
Rosse. — I have said. 
Med. — Be comforted. 

Let's make us med'eines of our great revenge, 
To cure this deadly grief. 
Macd. — He has no children. All my pretty ones? 

Did you say all ? All ? 

What! all my pretty chickens and their dam at 

one fell swoop. 
Mai. — Dispute it like a man. 
Macd. — I shall do so. 

But I must also feel it as a man. 

I cannot but remember such things were. 



37 

That were most precious to me. Did heaven 

look on, 
And would not take their part ? Sinful Macduff'. 
They were all struck for thee ! Naught that 

I am ; 
Not for their own demerits, but for mine, 
Fell slaughter on their souls." — Macbeth. 

" Alas ! what need you be so boisterous, rough ? 
I will not struggle ; I will stand stone-still. 
For heaven's sake, let me not be bound. 
Nay, hear me, Hubert : drive these men away, 
And I will sit as quiet as a lamb ; 
I will not stir, nor wince, nor speak a word, 
Nor look upon the iron angrily. 
Thrust but these men away, and I'll forgive you 
Whatever torment you may put me to." 

" A hurry of hoofs in the village street, 

A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark ; 

And beneath from the pebbles, in passing, a spark 
Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet — 

That was all I And yet, through the gloom and the light, 

The fate of a nation was riding that night ; 
And the spark struck out by that steed in his flight, 

Kindled the land into flame with its heat." 

" The combat deepens. On, ye brave 
Who rush to glory, or the grave ! 
Wave, Munich ! all thy banners wave, 
And charge with all thy chivalry." 

' ; Few, few shall part where many meet ! 
The snow shall be their winding-sheet : 
And every turf beneath their feet 
Shall be a soldier's sepulchre." 

1 ( And then I think of one who in 

Her youthful beauty died, 
The fair meek blossom that grew up 

And faded by my side ; 
In the cold, moist earth we laid her, 

When the forest casts the leaf, 
And we wept that one so lovely 

Should have a life so brief. 



38 

Yet not unmeet it was that one, 
Like that young friend of ours. 

So gentle and so beautiful, 

Should perish with the flowers" 

" Hark ! they whisper— angels say, 
' Sister spirit, come away ;' 
What is this absorbs me quite ? 
Steals my senses, shuts my sight, 
Drowns my spirit, draws my breath ? 
Tell me, my soul, can this be death ? 

" The world recedes ! it disappears ! 
Heaven opens to mine eyes ! mine ears 

With sounds seraphic ring ! 
Lend, lend your wings ! I mount ! I fly ! 
grave ! where is thy victory ? 
death ! where is thy sting ? ' ' 

King Lear Banishing Kent. 

' Hear me, recreant ! on thine allegiance hear me ! 
Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow 
(Which we durst never yet), and with stain'd pride, 
To come betwixt our sentence and our power, 
(Which nor our nature nor our place can bear ; ) 
Our potency make good : take thy reward — 
Five days do we allot,thee for provision 
To shield thee from diseases of the world ; 
.And, on the sixth, to turn thy hated back 
Upon our kingdom ; if, on the tenth day following 
Thy banished trunk be found in our dominions, 
The moment is thy death. Away ! by Jupiter, 
This shall not be revoked !" 



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